Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-09-30
Isithe Country Drying Hp9
From the Brainerd Journal. IS; #:si


The most Of our rcaders are familiar
with the fact that the small streams,
smllow lakes, ponds and marshes, ID
iaorthern Minnesota, are gradually dry-
tingup. Aiew days ago we met Mr..
Lyman Aver, ef Belle Prairie, on q
train. snd as that gentleman is the
oldest full sblooded white man born in
Minnesota, ffty-tHo years Of age, and
besides being literally educated has
Ibeenan explorer for many years, we
asked him If he had noticed the phe-
|nomenon. He replied substantially Is
follow: zt8 3:5 g 55:;: zs. @5 IS
u is true that there is q gradual and
steady drying up of the lakes, marshes
and streams in this part OF the state,
and the rainfall is different from what it
was formerly. I know Of places where
there we're lakes thirty years ago that
dry enough to cultivate now, and I know
ofmalshes that we're ia wet to allow
the growth Of grass At that time that
are now actually under cultivation. All
streams Of water in this part Of the
state have less volume Of water than
formerly Even in quite recent years
lumbermen have depended upon heavy
June rains every year is sufficient to
bring out al their logs, and they were
rarely disappointed but during the last
few years the June rains have failed.
For some time I thought that perhaps
the water supply was regulated by Ger
tain periods, Of time, and that a few
years would bring about a.return of an
era of greater abundance of water. but
as the gradual subsidence of water has
now continued, by my own personal
observation, for forty years, I have
abandoned that idea. Do I think the
country is drying up in such manner
as to- ultimately hinder its, deyelope-
ment? Well no. I hftve noticed that
the cultivated areas stand drouth much
better than formerly. VI think the
change in the visible water supply is
wholly due to the removal Of standing
timber and the improvement and cul-
tivation of land. For instance, on a
farm near Belle Prairie there was form
erly small lake that contained water at
al times ofthe years. and was not dry
even in times of severest drouth., The
land surrounding it was not then under
cultivation, but later the surrounding
land was broken up and crops raised on
it every year. The water rapidly dis
appeared, and the bon of the lake be-
came dry. It was plowed up some time
ago,and is now under improvement.
This proved that the water formerly in
the lake was all surface water, which
ran in there from the surrounding land. |
When the surrounding land was i'm
proved, the water more readily soaked
into the pulverized earth, and was thus
absorbed. In former times, owing to
the greater areas of uncut timber land,
and much less improved land, there
greater quantities of surface water,
which ran off into the streams and the
Mississippi river and flowing out of the
country. Thus when there was drouth,
there was less moisture remaining to
be absorbed in the atmosphere to keep
vegatatiod alive. Theresore as land IS
cultivated the lakes, marshes and
streams will contain less water, but the
land will contain more moisture, as the
rains will be absorbed instead of run
ming off as surface water, and lands now
too light and dry for cultivation will
gradually come into condition for
successful improvement. The wisdom
of the universal creator is greater than
the fears and foibles of man; and if man
does his duty, he need not fear that the
bounty of divine providence will fail"